Big waistline high indicator of diabetes

Public health officials in England have issued a warning to people with bulging waistlines: They are significantly more likely to develop diabetes than thinner people.

Specifically, Public Health England (PHE) says that men with a 40-inch waist are five times more likely to get type 2 diabetes and women are at three times a greater risk once their waistlines reach 35 inches.

The PHE report is in response to the UK’s growing diabetes population. In the UK, about 3.2 million people have been diagnosed with some form of diabetes and that figure is projected to reach five million by 2025.

Health officials point out that it's important for people to measure their waists across their belly buttons, rather than to go by their pants size. Even when someone gets a beer belly, they may not increase their pants size. Instead, they simply wear their pants lower.